Recently, the Lead India campaign has generated a lot of buzz and interest among the masses. The advertisements in particular have been quite thought provoking. I happened to see the ad where Amitabh Bachchan talks of India now waiting for a leader who can take us to our rightful place in this century and that we are eager to hand over the torch to this ‘chosen one’ who will guide us to greatness. This ad triggered a chain of thoughts in me…
What is our fascination with “Leaders”? Why do we always look out for someone to lead us? Is it ingrained in our psyche? Are we so deeply entrenched in mediocrity that we have no alternative but to follow someone’s lead? Is it really that difficult for an individual to lead himself (or herself)? Imagine an India where everyone is competent to lead himself! That would indeed be a true awakening of a nation. But is this a utopian thought or reality… I’ll let you ponder on this.
Finally, Lead India looks like a reality show given a jingoistic twist to entice the mind of the viewer in this era of mind-numbing reality series. Irrespective of what the promoter’s aim was, the subliminal message that we actually need a show to find a ‘leader’ in nation of more than a billion hurts the free thinker in me!
